Word to the Wise
Friday, November 18, 2011 - Friday in the 33th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Macc 4:36-37, 52-59 and Luke 19:45-48]The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.
It seems a little strange to be reflecting on events that are part of the passion account in Luke when Holy Week is a long ways off! But the liturgical year is coming to an end, so there is an emphasis on "last things," whether those be the last things in Jesus' earthly life or the last things in terms of Jesus' second coming. Even the first scriptures of the day, from Maccabees, are the "last things" historically in the Old Testament. Soon we will begin the "cycle" of the "Paschal Mystery" all over again (Cycle B) on the First Sunday of Advent - right after Thanksgiving!
My attention this morning was drawn to the turn of phrase in the gospel scripture "hanging on his words." Jesus clearly makes himself a direct threat to the "powers that be." He goes into the temple and creates havoc with the folks who make their living from the "temple system." I imagine they were back the next day but Jesus' action was a blunt challenge to the Jerusalem "establishment." Only their fear of a riot and Roman action kept them from killing him on the spot! The people were "hanging on his words." Fame is fickle, as the saying goes, and we will hear from the same crowd, "Crucify him!" later on.
Although, as one who makes his living as an itinerant preacher, it would be nice to think of people as "hanging on my words," I know better than that. Yet, I hope that something I say might get someone to go back and read Jesus' words and become entranced with his teaching. It is the shrug of indifference that is hardest to bear. Jerusalem is not the only city that could cause weeping! At least they weren't indifferent! AMEN